Wasteland: Unexplored (Chapter 3)
It was 5:43 am. Stars shone in the dawn sky, but there was a tinge of orange on the horizon. There were faint clouds in the sky, watching over the two sleeping sailors. The waves were calm. Then they weren't. A large wave rocked the boat, and some water got in. It was really big for a canoe, to the point where some didn't even consider it a real canoe - just a really big boat thingy. The Ke'aupuni liked to build theirs about a metre longer and 2 feet wider than the average canoe. Thanks to its size, Rhys hadn't even noticed. "Rhys," shouted Anemone. "The boat! It's flooded a bit..." Rhys yawned and slowly opened his eyes. His eyelids were heavy, but he knew he HAD to wake up. "W-wha... oh." He squirmed a bit, and water splashed on his heels. "Where... where are we?" Panic started to fill Anemone from head to toe. "I... don't know!" She tore down the sailcloth and used it to soak up the water. While she was cleaning up, Rhys gasped. "ANEMONE!!!!!" A wave about 1 and a half metres tall slammed on the boat, pushing the oblivious Anemone out. Her cheeks puffy with saltwater, she spat out as much of it as she can. The waves pushed her forward, but Rhys tried to pull her back. Forward, back, forward, back. Their fingers were both slippery from the sea water, and Rhys couldn't hold onto her anymore. Eventually, a killer whale grabbed Anemone by the legs and pulled her across the surface of the sea. Rhys grabbed his oar and paddled harder and harder. Eventually, his weak arms collapsed, and the young princess was dragged out of sight. He could hear her voice in the wind screaming "RHYS! I'M SORRY!" but it eventually faded away. Rhys wondered why she was apologizing. It was ''his ''fault. Well, technically it was hers, since she was busy soaking up the water. But if only he warned her faster... He made the most out of his remaining energy and continue to paddle, guilt flowing through his body. But he ''had ''to keep on going. "Surely she's alright," he reassured himself. "The thing was dragging 'er across the water, not under it. She be a water specialist too, so I shouldn't worry..." Although he was determined, he couldn't stop thinking about Anemone. She was like a sister to him, and they've only known each other for a little over half a day. ~~~~~ 4 hours later, Rhys was asleep in his boat. The waves have completely calmed down since Anemone was taken away. A small wave woke him up, and he looked up at the azure sky. After the nap, he had regained some of his energy, so he paddled more. He remembered what her father had told him the previous day. She must have used her powers to save him! That idea gave him the faintest joy. He paddled even harder in search for land. Even when his arms got tired, he continued to paddle. He needed land. He loved the sea with all his heart, but he was in the middle of nowhere. Or was he? 40 minutes passed. He was on the verge of giving up, but then he saw something ahead of him. A blurry, misty splotch of gray and green.. "Is that... land?" he asked himself. Indeed it was. He cracked his knuckles, stretched his arms and rubbed them. His arms had to stop hurting before he could keep going. He grabbed the oars and paddled harder than he had ever paddled before. Before he knew it, the water got shallower... Category:Stories